Alloa
Alloa is a small
burgh in
Clackmannanshire,
Scotland, 6 miles to the east of
Stirling, on north bank of the
River Forth. Its most notable visible landmark is the
Alloa Tower, the surviving part of the ancestral medieval residence of the Erskine family, the
Earls of Mar. The town was a
burgh of barony.
An 1861 pamphlet on "Alloa and its Environs" suggests that the name derives from
Aull Waeg - the way to the sea. During the
18th century, Alloa thrived as a
river port through which the produce of
Glasgow manufacture was exported to
Europe.
The town itself was known for its
weaving and
glassmaking industries. Alloa was long associated with the
brewing industry, with at least nine major breweries producing
ales. However this industry declined severely during the late
20th century.
The town has suffered poor transport links since the
Stirling-Alloa-
Dunfermline rail service was closed in 1968. However the project for reopening the
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link is expected to be completed in early 2007. This also involves the construction of a new bypass road and bridge so that a major level crossing in the town can be removed in the interests of safety. As of April 2006, work is progressing well.
Alloa Athletic F.C. are based at Recreation Park in the town.
The burgh population in a mid-19th century census was 6,440.
Notable people from the town include the footballer and commentator
Alan Hansen and the artists
Lys Hansen and
Emma Scott-Smith. The Canadian politician
George Brown was born here in 1818. The founder of Forte Holdings which later merged with Trust House to become
Trust House Forte, Lord Charles Forte, was raised in Alloa.
Alloa is served by
Tesco and
Morrison's supermarkets, and has an
ASDA under construction.
Interesting places to visit near to Alloa include
Tillicoultry,
Dollar,
Rumbling Bridge,
Culross and
Falkirk.
Alloa is currently served by three parish churches in the
Church of Scotland, namely the North Parish Church, the West Parish Church and
St Mungo's Parish Church (the largest of the three.) In
1978 the Very Rev Dr Peter Brodie (then minister at St Mungo's) was elected
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Alloa is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Stirling.
There are churches of other denominations in the town, including a Catholic church also named St Mungo's.
The headquarters of
Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS), the ecumenical organisation linking Scotland's largest churches, is located at Inglewood House, Alloa.
* "Alloa and its Environs: A descriptive and Historical Sketch", Alloa Advertiser, 1861
*
Scotland's Census Results Online - 2001*
Alloa Tower*
Lys Hansen's Daily Bread exhibition*
Alloa West Parish Church*
National Library of Scotland - Town Plan of Alloa (Surveyed: 1861-2)
